SDSU Library Implements Storage Hypervisor To Improve VDI Performance

San Diego State University Library has implemented storage hypervisor software to improve the performance and capacity of its virtual machine storage and enable automated bulk provisioning.

SDSU Library embarked on an initiative in 2009 to virtualize its data center, a project that is now 85 percent complete. Following the success of the data center virtualization, the university began looking at ways to expand the initiative to include desktop virtualization infrastructure (VDI). SDSU Library implemented VMware View but needed a solution to manage its storage arrays and deploy solid state disks (SSDs) in a way that would improve performance.

The university selected Virsto for vSphere storage hypervisor software. According to the company, Virsto for vSphere can maximize VDI host density and storage capacity, improve desktop performance, and integrate with VMware View provisioning workflows. SDSU Library IT administrators can use Virsto's scalable snapshots and high-performance writable clones to provision virtual desktops in bulk operations. Virsto also manages the VDI system's SSD and rotating disk storage.

SDSU may expand its implementation of Virsto for vSphere beyond the library. "We have begun receiving favorable feedback from other departments on campus, and a high level of interest in how the product makes VDI more accessible to other areas within SDSU," said Kyle E. Murray, Lead of Library Digital Technology Initiatives for SDSU in a prepared statement.

San Diego State University serves over 35,000 undergraduate and graduate students and employs more than 5,000 faculty and staff. It is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. SDSU provides open laboratories with nearly 800 public access computers for research and general use and 24/7 access to software and applications for faculty and students.